Empty Promises, Wasted Years

It's my fifth year working at my relative's factory after giving up a high-paying job. I'm in the middle of helping the administrative staff clear out the printer when I accidentally catch a glimpse of the new clerk's payslip—Base Salary: 6,500 dollars. I freeze right on the spot. Five years ago, I've turned down two high-paying offers and joined Dad's younger brother, Liam Graham's, factory. Back then, he patted me on the shoulder and said, "We're family. I'll never shortchange you." I believe him. However, it's been five years, and my salary is still the same five grand I started with. Every single time I ask for a raise, Uncle Liam cries poverty, claiming that the factory isn't doing well. My girlfriend breaks up with me, saying my salary makes it impossible for her to see a future. I pull the weight of three people and pour my heart into training the newcomers, only to find out a new hire is making 1,500 dollars more than me. I jeer out of sheer exasperation and hand in my resignation to Uncle Liam. "Why?" he asks in shock. "The pay is terrible. There's no career progression. I can't do this anymore!" Chapter 1 Dad's younger brother, Liam Graham, leaned back in his chair with a smile. "What's gotten into you? Did something set you off, or did you have another fight with your dad?" I told him the flat-out truth. "I just realized it's been five years, and while the cost of living and rent have gone up, my salary hasn't budged an inch. Five years ago, I had two offers in my hand—one for nine grand and another for ten grand. Mom told me to work for you, claiming we're family; you won't shortchange me. "When I first joined, you paid me five grand a month and promised to raise my salary once business picked up. For the last five years, I've helped you close countless major deals, handled business registration and tax affairs, trained the newcomers, and even dealt with debt collectors for you. I've been doing the work of three employees for five grand. Yet, this year, the new hires are making 6,500 dollars the moment they join the factory." His smile faded slightly. "Lucius, how can you compare yourself to the others? You're family. Do you really think your uncle would shortchange you? "You're in line for succession here. Why are you losing sleep over pocket change? I've been under a lot of pressure lately. Your aunt keeps nagging me to buy a new house, and your cousin's about to study abroad." Uncle Liam sighed. "I've never shared my burdens with anyone else, but you're family. Shouldn't you cut your uncle some slack?" Holding his gaze, I responded, "I've cut you plenty of slack for five years, Uncle Liam. Every single time you denied me a raise, it was because we're family. Because we're family, I should work for peanuts? "Because we're family, I have to be the bigger person? Because we're family, I'm supposed to take the short end of the stick? Everyone in the factory knows I'm your nephew. "They literally wagered that I'm pulling in five figures easily. I can't even bring myself to tell them I only make five grand. My girlfriend went through five years of hardship with me—no heating in winter and a leaking roof in summer. "Last week, she packed her bags and left. She told me she wasn't afraid of the hard times with me, but my paycheck gave her zero future to look forward to." I took a deep breath and controlled my voice. "I want to design and see what I can do out in the world, Uncle Liam. Even if I end up crashing and burning, at least it'll be on my own terms." Uncle Liam's expression hardened, and he slammed his fist on the table. "If I hadn't taken you in back then, you wouldn't even be where you are today! Do you think the real world is a walk in the park? "For five years, I treated you like my own flesh and blood. I taught you the technical skills and how to manage the place, and now you're just walking out on me? Do you even have a conscience?" He pointed at the door and bellowed, "Fine. Get the hell out of my sight right now! Listen here, once you walk out that door, don't you dare call me your uncle! Let's see what you can make of yourself out there, you ungrateful wretch!" Looking at him, I realized how pathetic it all was. I had worked myself to the bone, put in countless hours of unpaid overtime, and gone five years without a single raise. Yet, now, just because he said he gave me an opportunity and that I was family, all my five years of hard work and sacrifices were just supposed to be expected of me? I spun around and left. Right then and there, it dawned on me that I should've left this place a long time ago. Chapter 2 I went back to my workstation to clear out my cubicle. Then, I carried my cardboard box back to my rented apartment. My phone was vibrating nonstop. Uncle Liam had mentioned everyone in the family group chat. "The ungrateful punk I raised for five years just up and left the moment he could stand on his own. His salary might've been slightly on the lower end, but that was to build his character! Everyone in the factory treats him with respect. Now, he turns his back on us. "I'll let you guys be the judge. Is it not embarrassing for our family to produce someone like him? He even chose to quit right after I wrapped up a client meeting, sending my blood pressure through the roof. "I'm referring to my brother's son, my nephew, and the child I'd watched grow up. This is oh so heartbreaking." Dad's youngest brother, Oliver Graham, then said, "Don't let him get to you, Liam. Youngins are just immature. I'll talk to him later, and everything will be fine. "That's the problem with the younger generation nowadays. They can't endure hardships or stomach any criticism. @Lucas, aren't you going to rein him in?" Uncle Liam's wife, Ava Smith, shared a link. "Ungrateful People Will Only End Up in a Dead End." Uncle Liam's son, Ethan Graham, wrote, "Calm down, Dad. He's not worth it. Some people are just ungrateful wretches who can't be tamed. No matter how well you treat them, they'll still bite. Going forward, all that matters is that our immediate family sees him for who he is." Dad's older sister, Mia Graham, added, "This young man has genuinely been spoiled rotten. Lucas, you need to discipline him. One must not forget their roots and should know how to be grateful." The messages kept flooding in. Everyone was calling me immature and an ungrateful bastard. All the blood in my body rushed to my head, and I was about to reply when my dad, Lucas Graham, called. I took a deep breath and answered the call. Suppressing his anger, Dad asked, "Is what your Uncle Liam said true? Did you actually resign?" "Yes." He snapped. "Are you out of your goddamn mind? When you graduated, if he hadn't taken you in, you'd be jobless! Now that you've gained some experience under your belt, you're just going to up and leave? How am I supposed to look anyone in the eye ever again?" I explained, "Dad, my salary hasn't increased in five years…" "Is that all you care about? Your uncle was grooming you for the future! You, on the other hand, don't know what's good for you! "Do you have any idea how many people have called me today because of this? You've dragged my name through the mud!" I growled, "My girlfriend literally left me because of this! I know you want me to be sensible, Dad, and I've been sensible for five years. I've cut him some slack for half a decade. When is anyone ever going to cut me some slack?" "Lucius Graham! Don't change the subject!" He was so angry his voice trembled. "Are you trying to kill me? Do you want the entire family to talk smack about me and claim I raised an ungrateful piece of shit?" "I'm not ungrateful, Dad. He gave me a job, and I worked my ass off for him for five years. I've done right by him. I did double the work for half the pay, so I don't owe him anything." "Why, you…" His voice cracked. "If you don't go back and apologize to him, you'll be dead to me! I don't have a son like you. So, you ought to think about that long and hard!" With that, he hung up on me. … Late into the night, while I was online looking for a new job, my phone vibrated again. My mom, Leah Cooper, sent me a long message. "Lucius, don't take your dad's words to heart. You know how he is when his temper flares. However, regarding your Uncle Liam... I'm begging you to swallow your pride this once. Your dad's being criticized so much in the family group chat that he can't even hold his head up. "Your Aunt Mia called to ask how I raised you, and I didn't even dare to answer the phone. I know you might feel wronged, but your Uncle Liam is still your blood relative. We're family. Why can't we just talk it out? "I need you to put yourself in our shoes for a minute. Everyone in our circle is watching. Go back, apologize, and keep your job. We can talk about your pay raise down the line, alright?" Did Uncle Liam make a scene in the family group chat specifically because he foresaw all of this? Mom and Dad were old-fashioned, cared deeply about their reputation, and couldn't stand being gossiped about by others. Right now, he was probably sitting at home with a smirk, waiting for me to back down. I let out a derisive chuckle. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. I replied, "I'm fine, Mom. My salary issue isn't something that can be resolved down the line. It's been five years. I'm done talking about it. Go get some sleep." Lying in bed, a single sentence kept replaying in my mind. "He's family, so he won't shortchange you." Those few words had held me hostage for five years. Now, I was going to personally set myself free. Chapter 3 During the first month after I resigned, I sent out résumés everywhere, only to be met with dead silence. Later on, I found out that Uncle Liam had dropped a message in the industry group chat. "Lucius had no qualms about turning on his own biological uncle, so you should think twice before you hire him." Since I couldn't find a job, I decided to start my own business. After spending five years at Uncle Liam's factory, I knew every single nook and cranny of this industry. The scraps, defects, and excess inventory generated from production were treated as trash and sold to scrap dealers for just a few cents per pound. However, if I bought those scraps, sorted and reprocessed them, and sold them to secondary manufacturers who needed raw materials... with no middlemen taking a cut, every single step would be pure profit. I only had about 40,000 dollars to my name, which was nowhere near enough to rent a warehouse. Consequently, I found an abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of the city and rented it for 800 dollars a month. The landlord was an elderly woman. Her eyes were filled with pity when she saw a young man like me renting the place just to pile up junk. Mr. Winters' factory was right next door, and he produced the same line of goods as Uncle Liam. Half his yard was piled high with scrap and left unattended. When I knocked on his door, he sized me up. "Aren't you Liam's nephew? I heard you and your uncle had a massive falling out." "I'm here to talk business, Mr. Winters. I'm sure a personal rift won't get in the way of my business." He smiled. "Fair enough. You've got guts. In any case, you can take that scrap pile off my hands. I'll sell them to you for five grand." I hastily did the math in my head. That pile could yield at least three tons of reusable material, which would be worth at least 20,000 dollars on the market. "Five grand is too low, Mr. Winters. At least 40% of that pile can be melted down and reused. I'll give you eight grand. In exchange, I want exclusive rights to all your future waste, and I'll buy it at 30% above market rates." He froze for a second before looking at me in a new light. "I can't believe Liam actually let a talent like you slip through his fingers. Alright, eight grand it is. You can start hauling them away next week." Brimming with confidence, I carted the scraps back to my rented farmhouse yard. Initially, I thought sorting would be a breeze; after all, it was just a bit of manual labor. Sadly, I only realized how grueling it truly was once I got my hands dirty. I wore two pairs of gloves, yet I still rubbed holes through them before half the day was over. To make matters worse, I had overestimated my technical knowledge. I couldn't tell the grades of some materials apart, so I blended them together, and I couldn't get a good price for them. After spending two agonizing weeks sorting a load that cost me 8,000 dollars, it flipped for a measly 11,000 dollars. That was the first time I doubted myself, wondering if I had made a mistake. When I was at my lowest, Mr. Sinclair, who lived in the adjacent courtyard, dropped by to borrow some tools. He happened to be a retired master technician from a plastics factory. Noticing how down-to-earth and hardworking I was, he took me under his wing and taught me how to distinguish between different types of plastics and judge material grades. Three months later, I had secured scrap material sources from eight different factories, and I had four regular secondary manufacturers downstream. My monthly revenue surpassed 100, 000 dollars. Then, I went out and bought a ton of books on materials science and devoured them every single night until 2:00 or 3:00 am. If I stumbled across something I didn't understand, I'd look it up online; if I couldn't find it on the web, I'd ask Mr. Sinclair. Half a year later, I was able to eyeball the grade and purity of 12 common types of plastics. It made me somewhat of an expert in the industry. Within a year, I had established a solid foothold in the industry, founded my own company, and hit over ten million dollars in annual sales. All Souls' Day was right around the corner, so I drove my own car back to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors. I ran into Uncle Liam in front of my grandpa John Graham's grave. I was on my way to Grandpa and my grandma, Lillian Silva's, graves with flowers and candles when a voice sounded behind me. "What are you doing here?" I turned around and found Uncle Liam. "I'm here to pay respects to our ancestors," I answered calmly. He snickered. "Oh? Who do you think you are?" Uncle Oliver, Aunt Mia, Aunt Ava, and Ethan walked over from a distance, their eyes filled with surprise before settling into looks of sheer disdain and smug satisfaction. Chapter 4 "Lucius Graham, how dare you show your face here?" Ethan fumed behind Uncle Liam. "Have you forgotten what you did to my dad?" "I haven't." I looked at Uncle Liam. "I handed in my resignation letter and left. I didn't owe the factory a single penny." Uncle Liam flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Our ancestors wouldn't welcome ungrateful bastards like you, Lucius." "I'm here to light candles and pray for Grandpa and Grandma, not you. So, you have no say in this." Just then, someone tugged at Uncle Liam's arm, while others started whispering among themselves. "Why is this young man so stubborn?" "Hurry up and apologize to your uncle!" "We're all family here. Why are you kicking up such a huge fuss? It's embarrassing!" I placed the bouquet of flowers in my hands in front of the grave and bowed before Grandpa's portrait. "When Grandpa was alive, he told me that the children of the Graham family must stand tall and live with integrity. In the last five years, I haven't stolen, cheated, or taken advantage of anyone. I didn't leave because I was ungrateful; I left because I wanted to make something of myself." I turned around to face my family. "I'm going to light this candle, not to prove anything to anyone, but so Grandpa knows his grandson hasn't dragged the Graham family name through the mud." With that, I lit the candles one by one and set them down before the grave. Then, I sank to my knees, bowed my head in prayer, and carefully arranged them at Grandpa and Grandma's resting place. Uncle Liam stood beside me, his expression dark with anger. After paying my respects, I stepped outside to get some fresh air. By pure chance, I overheard Uncle Liam on the phone. "Yes, that's the one—Lux Materials. Help me get in touch with them. If this deal goes through, we're golden! I want to see that punk cry over what he lost once we make it big!" Lux Materials? Wasn't that my company? I left with a smile. … The next morning, I went to work as usual. The moment I reached the main entrance, I spotted Uncle Liam. He sized me up. I was wearing an ordinary jacket, so in his eyes, I was probably still that same nephew who used to do odd jobs at his factory. Uncle Liam plastered a meaningful smile on his face. "Oh, Lucius, you were doing so well at my place, but you just had to leave. Look at you now; you've been drifting around for a year, and now you've come here to look for a job?" He closed in on me and continued, "I'm here to discuss a business deal. Once I head upstairs, I can put in a good word for you with the CEO and get you a gig as a janitor. You're still my nephew, after all. I can't just stand by and watch you end up on the streets." Looking at him, I suddenly found the whole situation a little amusing. "Uncle Liam, what did you say the name of this company was again?" "Lux Materials." He pointed at the sign. "Both Lux and Lucius independently come from the same root concept—light, yet it really shows how two people can have completely different destinies," he remarked. I smiled. "I hope you won't regret it later when you head upstairs, Uncle Liam." He was caught off guard for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Why would I regret anything? I'm here to negotiate a business deal, not to beg anyone for favors. You, on the other hand…" Uncle Liam pointed at my clothes. "Why don't you go change first? It's not a good look for you, hanging around a company entrance in such casual attire. You'll only embarrass us." I paid him no mind, turned around, and took the private elevator upstairs. As soon as I reached my office, the intercom rang. My secretary, Maya Smith, said, "Mr. Graham, the client for this morning has arrived early and is waiting in the lobby. Would you like me to bring him up now?" I nodded. "Please send him in." Moments later, there was a knock on the door. The corners of my lips curled into a smile. "Come in." The door swung open, and Maya stepped aside to let Uncle Liam in. He shifted his gaze from Maya to the executive desk, and his jaw dropped when he saw me sitting there.